


Promised Day

by 100demons



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Canon - Manga, Canon Compliant, Chess, Community: fma_fic_contest, F/M, Flirting, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-10
Updated: 2012-01-10
Packaged: 2017-10-29 08:26:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/317797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/100demons/pseuds/100demons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roy and Riza have their own promised day. Written for FMA Fic Contest (second place).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promised Day

Promised Day

* * *

FMA_Fic_Contest: Second Place  
Prompt 148  
"Still Needs Something"

* * *

They play chess in the evenings when Master Hawkeye locks himself in his study for the night. The pieces gleam dully, the fire calling forth shadows and hidden facets that flicker and change with every move.

"Your move, Miss Hawkeye."

Roy watches the line of her neck, the deepening wrinkle in her forehead, her tapping fingers. She is a cautious player, cool and deliberate, and takes her time choosing her moves. Today is no exception. Long minutes pass before she picks up her knight and captures a bishop, callused fingers deftly moving the pieces.

"Mr. Mustang," she says coolly, but her brown eyes gleam with triumph.

"Stalemate," Roy smiles and leans forward, propping himself on the table with his elbows. "You've gotten really good, Miss Hawkeye."

"I've had a lot of practice." She tentatively returns his smile and then moves to pack up the pieces. "It's getting late, I should—"

"I'll be leaving next week."

Riza freezes, fingers curled around the figure of her black king, her face shadowed. "I see."

"I mean—do you—" Roy stops suddenly and the heavy words fall from his lips and cut sharply through the air. Everything is caught up in a tangle at the base of his throat until it feels like he can breathe no longer, but he has so many things to say and so many things he wants to do and he _needs_ to tell her everything, he needs her to know.

"You—you told me before, that you believed in the military. That it had the power to change the world."

"I did." Riza's eyes are guarded now and her knuckles white. "You asked me about my childhood dreams. It was a passing fancy."

"What if it's true? What if we _could_ help the country? Make it a better place?"

"Mr. Mustang."

"What if I joined the military," Roy says quietly, the reflected firelight gleaming in his dark eyes. "What if your dream is _right._ "

"What if," Riza echoes and then slowly sets down the king she has in her hand. "What if it's not possible?"

"What if I think it is?"

 _What if, what if, what if._ With a carefully finger, Riza knocks her king over, watching it roll and slide on the table. "You'd still need to do a lot of work," she says wryly.

"I know. Maybe, do you think…I know Master Hawkeye wouldn't approve but…we could do this together." Roy reaches out over the table and offers his hand. "Riza, we could change the world."

Riza looks at his outstretched hand for a long moment and then sighs. "I'm sorry, Mr. Mustang, but my Father—I'm the only family he has left. I can't leave him."

"I—yes of course, Miss Hawkeye, I didn't. Um." Faint pink tinges his high cheekbones and Roy draws his hand back, grateful for the dim lighting of the room.

"Still," she says wistfully, picking up the fallen king. "Maybe someday…"

"Someday," Roy promises. "We'll do it together."


End file.
